AP Sports Summary for January 22nd, 2025:
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
NEW YORK (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball's Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots and Wagner on 325, which was 29 more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot. Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee. Mariano Rivera remains the only player to get 100% of the vote from the BBWAA.
Liverpool beats Lille to reach Champions League round of 16. Barcelona wins 9-goal thriller
Liverpool became the first team to guarantee a place in the last 16 of the new Champions League format by beating Lille 2-1 on Tuesday, while Barcelona fought back from two goals down to stun Benfica 5-4 in a thriller. Harvey Elliott's bouncing, deflected shot gave Liverpool its seventh win from seven games, just after 10-man Lille had equalized following Mohamed Salah's opening goal. Raphinha scored in added time to complete a rousing comeback as Barcelona beat Benfica despite having been 4-2 down with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.
Ohio State celebrates and gets ready for all the changes coming to college football in 2025
ATLANTA (AP) — The early betting favorite to win next year's national championship is Ohio State. The question nobody can really answer at this time is what sort of game will the Buckeyes or anyone else return to when they kick it off again seven months from now. A college football program that won the title by spending lavishly and used the transfer portal judiciously joins everyone else in not knowing exactly what the rules will be in this rapidly changing game when next fall rolls around. Still, the Buckeyes are the early 9-2 favorite to win it all in 2025, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell agree to a multiyear contract extension after a 14-win season
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell have agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. The deal reached Tuesday follows a 14-3 regular season that defied external widespread preseason projections of at least a losing record if not a last-place finish in the NFC North. In three seasons with the Vikings, the 39-year-old O'Connell is 34-17 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs. The Vikings didn't disclose terms of the deal. It was reached with one year remaining on O'Connell's existing contract.
Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers goes on trial over allegations of domestic violence
QUINCY, Mass. (AP) — Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers is scheduled to go on trial Wednesday for allegedly shoving his girlfriend's head into a wall and choking her after she received a phone call while they were in bed together. Court documents show the 29-year-old Peppers faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine. Braintree police say they were called to a home for an altercation between two people in October. Court documents say Peppers allegedly pushed the woman to the ground, shoved her head into a wall and allegedly choked her six times.
AI experiment in halfpipe judging at X Games will give snowboarders a glimpse into the future
The X Games will experiment judging halfpipe runs this week in Aspen using artificial intelligence, the cutting-edge technology that could someday play a role in the way subjectively judged sports are scored. Long a trendsetter in action sports, the X Games and its new CEO, freestyle skiing great Jeremy Bloom, teamed with Google founder Sergey Brin to build the technology. Using Google Cloud tools including Vertex AI, Bloom thinks this experiment has potential to change the game on halfpipes, then maybe on slopestyle courses, skating rinks and anywhere a judge is used to score a contest.
Brittney Griner to test the market for the first time in career as WNBA free agency opens
MIAMI (AP) — Brittney Griner is testing the free agent market for the first time in her career. Her agent says the All-Star center is taking meetings starting Tuesday with multiple teams. WNBA executives were in Miami for the opening of Unrivaled to talk with Griner and other free agents. Griner has been a free agent before, but always re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury since she was first drafted by the franchise in 2013 as the No. 1 pick. Unrivaled has some of the top unrestricted free agents, like Griner and Courtney Vandersloot, as well as a few players who most likely will play on other teams next season.
In his hometown, Spurs' Victor Wembanyama dedicates a pair of new outdoor courts for kids to enjoy
LE CHESNAY, France (AP) — Victor Wembanyama stood on the center stripe of a new outdoor court in his hometown, his arms outstretched to their full 8-foot wingspan as he posed for a slew of photographers. He could not have seemed happier. Wembanyama unveiled a gift of sorts to his hometown and the next generation on Tuesday, a pair of outdoor courts — one for 5-on-5 play, the other for 3-on-3 play — that were built to the specifications that he wanted and sketched out himself.
Young collector nabs rare Paul Skenes card that could offer him a hefty haul in trade with Pirates
An 11-year-old collector in Los Angeles has scooped up a one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. Now comes the fun part, seeing what the collector could get for it in a trade. The Pittsburgh Pirates have said they'll offer a package that includes season tickets at PNC Park for 30 years in exchange for the card, which includes Skenes' autograph and a patch from a game-worn uniform. Skenes' girlfriend, LSU gymnast and influence Livvy Dunne, has also offered the winner a chance to join her in a luxury suite during one of Skenes' starts.
Phoenix Suns acquire three first-round picks from Utah Jazz in exchange for 2031 first-round pick
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have acquired three future first-round picks from the Utah Jazz in exchange for another first-round pick. The teams announced the deal on Tuesday. The Suns now own first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 that are the least favorable selections between Cleveland and Minnesota in 2025 and between Cleveland, Utah and Minnesota in both 2027 and 2029. The Jazz acquired the Suns' 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Portland 116 Miami 107
Final Toronto 109 Orlando 93
Final New York 99 Brooklyn 95
Final Denver 144 Philadelphia 109
Final L.A. Lakers 111 Washington 88
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final OT Philadelphia 2 Detroit 1
Final Montreal 3 Tampa Bay 2
Final N-Y Rangers 5 Ottawa 0
Final Carolina 2 Dallas 1
Final Nashville 7 San Jose 5
Final Washington 3 Edmonton 2
Final Buffalo 3 Vancouver 2
Final Florida 5 Anaheim 2
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (3)Iowa St. 108 UCF 83
Final (4)Alabama 103 Vanderbilt 87
Final (6)Tennessee 68 (14)Mississippi St. 56
Final (10)Marquette 76 Seton Hall 59
Final Ohio St. 73 (11)Purdue 70
Final (15)Oregon 82 Washington 71
Final UCLA 85 (18)Wisconsin 83
Final (19)UConn 80 Butler 78
Final Texas 61 (22)Missouri 53
Final Arizona St. 65 (23)West Virginia 57
Final (25)Louisville 98 SMU 73
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Detroit at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Dallas 7:30 p.m.
Phoenix at Brooklyn 7:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Memphis 8 p.m.
Cleveland at Houston 8 p.m.
Milwaukee at New Orleans 8 p.m.
Utah at Oklahoma City 8 p.m.
Golden State at Sacramento 10 p.m.
Boston at L.A. Clippers 10:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Boston at New Jersey 7 p.m.
Columbus at Toronto 7:30 p.m.
Winnipeg at Colorado 9:30 p.m.
Florida at Los Angeles 10 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(5)Florida at South Carolina 7 p.m.
Utah at (7)Houston 6 p.m.
(12)Kansas at TCU 7 p.m.
(13)Texas A&M at (16)Mississippi 9 p.m.
Xavier at (20)St. John's 7 p.m.
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